Capstan detacher

ABSTRACT

The detacher disclosed comprises a web infeed including the usual guides and tension brushes and pin-feed tractors. The usual high-speed pull roll sets are employed to effect the severance of the successive forms and the forwarding of them to the delivery conveyor or other depository. However, no low speed gripper or jump rolls are employed, the arrangement being such that sufficient retardation of the web for the bursting of the forms is furnished by the tractor and infeed members. This eliminates the necessity for providing timing means for starting the form web in a specified position, cams, change gear assemblies, vernier&#39;&#39;s, etc. A simple motor-driven belt guided by idler pulleys is employed for all of the driven parts. The actual burster instrumentality comprises a novel quick switch-over blade and pressure roller unit for alternative use with paper webs and tab cards. An abrasive covered roll may be employed between the infeed assembly and the point of severance to give some slight snubbing action on the web, especially in the case of lightweight papers. It also, in such cases, can remove some tension from the tractor pins.

United States Patent i191 Ba yne ,et al.

[451' Dec. 24, 1974 CAPSTAN DETACHER [75,] Inventors: Justin A. Bayne, East Rochester,

N.H James J. Knize, Lewiston,

[73] Assignee: Moore Business Forms, Inc., Niagara Falls, N.Y.'

[22] Filed: Jan. 26, 1973 [21] Appl. No; 327,230

[52] US Cl. 225/100 [51] Int. Cl p B26f 3/00 [58] Field of Search 225/100, 4

[56] 5 References Cited 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,268,190 l2/l94l Copeland et al 225/100 2,513,093 6/1950 Hogeman 225/100 2,649,156 8/1953 Stafford 225/100 3,445,047 5/1969 Sloan 225/100 3,560,309 2/l97.l Guver et al. 225/100 X Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Watson, Cole, Grindle &

Watson [5 7] ABSTRACT The detacherdisclosed comprises a web infeed including the usual guides and tension-brushes and pin-feed tractors. The usual high-speed pull roll sets are employed to effect the severance of the successive forms and the forwarding of them to the delivery conveyor or other depository. However, no low speed gripper or jump rolls are employed, the arrangement being such that sufficient retardation of the web for the bursting of the forms is furnished by the tractor and infeed members. This eliminates the necessity for providing timing means for starting the form web in a specified position, cams, change gearassemblies, verniers, etc.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I amples.

1 CAPSTAN DETACHER The present invention relates to strip or web severing machines of the general type disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. to Hageman et al 2,778,424 and Sargent 3,135,446, and it has for its general object to improve and simplify the construction and operation of such machines without sacrificing accuracy and to increase the speed of operation with a resulting increasein production.

In prior devices; since tractor feed and pressure roll feed will usually not correspond in advancing and snubbingthe web, it was necessary to relieve the pressure feed at intervals and allow the infeed tractors to compensate. for any overfeed or underfeed. This was done by a cam-gear unit, suchas, for example, the arrangement shown in FIG. 10 of the aforesaid I-Iageman US. Pat. No. 2,778,424. With the form web carefully started at the right point and the desired cam design installed, the slow roll set was then always down and gripping when the paper was'ready to be detached.

Later, those interchangable cam-gear sets were replaced by a complete change-gear assembly with a'permantly installed cam associated with the upper and lower slow rolls.

It is therefore, a more particular, object of the invention to provide a detacher in which the timed low-speed pressure roll sets are eliminated and reliance placed on the tractor infeed, and optionally some free-running snubber rolls, for the control of the web as the advanced form is burst therefrom.

In effecting this purpose, a novel combination burster knife and free-running roller set is employed at the point ofseverance, the one to be used for paper webs and'the other for shorter stiffer material such as tab cards.

Another feature of novelty is a free running preferably abrasive-covered roll I of rather small diameter adapted to adjustably bear on the upper surface of the web between the tractor and the point of severance.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of ex- IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of the principal parts of a detacher embodying the principals of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the detacher;

FIG. 3 is afragmentary somewhat enlarged view in vertical longitudinal section of the principal portions of the machine as set for knife bursting of a paper web;

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the device as set for the separation of tab cards or the like;

F IG. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a pair of slitter blades installed'adjacent the infeed tractor; and

FIG. 6 is a view in perspectiveof the machine in its entirety.

.justable optional snubber roll set 16; and the delivery conveyor and'form depository installation 17.

The tractor feed and slitter assembly is disclosed to better advantage in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, and comprises the pin-feed tractor 20 having the pin-supporting belt 21 trained about the drive pulley or sprocket 22 and themediate point the lower blade 26 of the slitter device. The upper blade 27 is carried by the shaft 28. A guard 29 embraces the slitter assembly.

. The snubber device 14 comprises the'free-r'unning snubber roll 30 which is frictionally supported by the bracket 31 which is vertically adjustable in the frame 10 as by means of the screw and slot arrangements 32. An angled plate ortrough 34 supports the web W beneath the snubber roll 30. This arrangement finds its best utility'in the case of light weight one part papers, and when the roll 30 is inits lower position it provides some capstan effect and removes some portion of the tension from the tractor pins to prevent any burring or distortion of the punch holes.

Next we have one of the more critical features of the present development, the breaker unit proper indicated at 15. A driven lower roll 40 is carried by a shaft 42 and underlies the web W adjacent the point of severance. This roll may be designated as a pull roll but, as will be seen, it does not form a part of a timed gripping pair of 5 rolls, sometimes term jump rolls in the art. It per- Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, the principal parts of the device are seen to comprise the supporting frame or cabinet 10; the curved input web guide plate 11 with its cooperating pressure brushes 12; the comblned tractor pin-feed and slitter assembly 13; an adcarried on the shaft 53 and each provided with O-ring tires 54 for engaging the upper surface of the Web while the knife 50 is in operative position as indicated in FIG. 3. These free running rolls are employed to aidin keeping the web moving toward severance position in cases where the knife 50 is used as on regular paper form webs.

Now in the case'of the bursting of stiffer material, such as the separation of tab cards and their stubs, the bracket 45 is swung to the alternative position shown in FIG. 4. The knife 50 is thus thrown to idle position, the floating rolls 52 raised, and the larger rolls 60, carried by the opposite end of the bracket brought into play. Since the cross perforations in tab card webs are quite weak, it is necessary to provide somewhat more holding power and these larger diameter rolls 60 answer the purpose. These rolls, like the'lighter smaller ones 52, are free running but exert substantial pressure when down in operative position with respect to the pull roll 40.

3 r I I .The high speed roll carriage 16 comprising the driven set of rolls 65 and 66, is of course, moved to practically abutting contact when the framework of the lower Returning now to the set-up forpaper webs, it will be seen that theseparated forms as they are detached from the lead portions of the web by the high speed rolls 65 and 66. They are successively thrown onto the conveyor 70 and up against the backstop 75. The backstop 'is shown in its upright position in broken lines in FIG. 2 for normal use, and in a lower position in solid lines for. use with light weightforms or with forms of greater length, say 14 inches to 17 inches.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,'some form guide strips are employed between the point of severance and the nip of the high speed rolls. A curtainlike sheet 80 secured at one end 81 to the adjustable frame 16 is guided around a rod 82 and mounted upon a spring loaded take up roll 85. The advancing-web ends are pushed by the ramp provided by this sheet into the nip of the rolls 65 and 66. Similarly,'to prevent airplaning of the lead edge of the web at high speeds,

there is provided a curtain 86 preferably of Mylar plas-- tic strips, having one end fixed as at 87 to the knife carrying bracket 45, guided around the rod 88, and wound on the'spring-loaded roll 90, similar in effect to the ordinary household curtain rod.

'One of the most beneficial results of the present development is the elimination of cam-timed infeed jump rolls, whereby higher operating speeds may be attained. Servicing and maintenance problems reduced, and power requirements lessened.

. In place of the complicated timed driving systems, the drive for the present machine is quite simple and is shown somewhat diagrammatically in FIG. 2. From the motor 100 the belt 101 passes around a pulley (not shown) carried by the shaft 25 of the tractor unit 20, thence around the ginde pulleys or sprockets 102 and 103, around the pulley 104 on the shaft 66' of the high speed roll,- and finally around the guiding idlers 105 and 106.

Thus it will be seen that all of the driven instrumentalities are moved at constant speeds continually and notintermittently.

The shaft 42 of the pull roll 40 may be driven from the tractor shaft'either by appropriate gearing or. by the chain or belt suggested at 110. Similarly, the'shaft 65' of the upper high-speed roll 65 may be geared to the lower shaft 66, for its power. 1

It will thus be understood that the present invention provides a much simpler and economical arrangement, in the elimination of expensive and complicated parts, reduction of noise, easier maintenance, lessening of power requirements, reduction of the number of operator controls and adjustments, and the attainment of higher speeds of operation and the consequent increase in production.

We claim:

'l. A machine for detaching sheets from continuous cross-perforated webs, comprising a constant tension constant speed infeed mechanism which comprises pinfeed tractor device for the web, a pair of high speed pull rolls for seizing thesuccessive new ends of the web and bursting sheets therefrom, means for driving said pull rolls continually at a speed greater than that of the infeed mechanism, and a free-running snubber roll bearing upon the web beyond the tractor device,

whereby the resistance of the web to the pulling force of the pull rolls is solely effected by the retarding effect of the constantly applied tension of the normal feed of the infeed mechanism, said snubber roll bearing the brunt of the restraining force on the web.

-. 2. The machine as set forth in claim 1 in which a breaker blade is interposed between the infeed mechanism and the pull rolls, and means are provided for swinging said breaker blade to an inoperative position for certain operations.

3. The mchine as set forth in claim 1 in which is provided an adjustable breaker device comprising a swing- 4. The machine as set forth in claim 1 in which a support means is disposed beneath said free-running snubber roll. 

1. A machine for detaching sheets from continuous crossperforated webs, comprising a constant tension constant speed infeed mechanism which comprises pinfeed tractor device for the web, a pair of high speed pull rolls for seizing the successive new ends of thE web and bursting sheets therefrom, means for driving said pull rolls continually at a speed greater than that of the infeed mechanism, and a free-running snubber roll bearing upon the web beyond the tractor device, whereby the resistance of the web to the pulling force of the pull rolls is solely effected by the retarding effect of the constantly applied tension of the normal feed of the infeed mechanism, said snubber roll bearing the brunt of the restraining force on the web.
 2. The machine as set forth in claim 1 in which a breaker blade is interposed between the infeed mechanism and the pull rolls, and means are provided for swinging said breaker blade to an inoperative position for certain operations.
 3. The mchine as set forth in claim 1 in which is provided an adjustable breaker device comprising a swingable bracket carrying at one location thereon a free running bearer roll for exerting a constant contact bearing pressure due to its own weight upon the web thereby contributing to the retarding force to facilitate the bursting of a card web, for example, and carrying at another location thereon said free-running snubber roll and a cooperating breaker blade, as for use in the separation of lighter paper webs.
 4. The machine as set forth in claim 1 in which a support means is disposed beneath said free-running snubber roll. 